


Is your dog passionate about democracy?

by sierraadeux



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Dog Dad Phil, M/M, Meet-Cute, Political Activist Dan, Politics, is that all i know how to write? maybe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21761524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sierraadeux/pseuds/sierraadeux
Summary: Blame Dan's increasing public interest in politics for me not being able to stop thinking about a different universe in which political campaign canvasser Dan meets corgi dad Phil on his route. A rare story of the one time in recorded history in which a stranger ringing your doorbell isn't annoying.
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Comments: 19
Kudos: 91





	Is your dog passionate about democracy?

It was a dreary Monday afternoon when Phil’s doorbell rang. Loki, Phil’s exuberant little best friend, or corgi, jumped down from his lap - barks beginning to rumble in his chest from the possibility of either an intruder or his favorite post man that carried dog biscuits. Phil wasn’t even mad at the interruption, popping up out of his desk chair, and leaving the untouched manuscript he had been staring at for the better half of an hour to jog down the stairs and answer the door. 

Loki’s little corgi butt wiggled in excitement as he woofed at the door. Phil shushed at him, putting one of his legs between the dog and the doorway before opening the door. Phil didn’t want to be _that guy_ , but his heart did a flip or two when he made eye contact with the person stood on his small porch. A tall man, around the same height as Phil, with warm brown eyes and matching curly brown hair gave him a polite smile. Phil tried to look past how _attractive_ the man was, but he couldn’t help himself from giving him a quick once over.

_What? Don’t even try to judge Phil in his own home._

Within a few seconds of opening the door Phil had noted that the stranger in front of him was clutching a green clipboard to his chest, a black messenger bag slung across his body, and he was head to toe in black - minus the bright red hoodie that peeked out from his long black coat, and the three colorful pins that were affixed to the breast of said coat. Phil didn’t know if it was his one track mind, or if the colors just stood out against the man’s dark coat, but he stalled for a moment staring at the pins. A square pin with a red rose, a green pin in the shape of the earth, and a smaller pin in the shape of a flag on a staff, its rainbow colors smiling at him. 

Phil’s distraction was enough for Loki, whose wiggling had kicked into overdrive, and he took the chance to squirm past Phil’s leg, darting out the door to greet the man Phil was, _maybe,_ staring at. 

“Oh, hello!” The man cooed, instantly crouching down and dropping his clipboard on the steps to let the corgi put his little stumpy feet on his knees and lick puppy kisses all over his face. 

“Loki, down,” Phil directed at the dog in an authoritative voice, but even though he was a well trained dog, Loki was having none of it. He completely ignored Phil’s commands, instead basking in the affection and pats of the stranger on Phil’s porch. The stranger, who was now cooing unintelligible praises at Phil’s dog in the most ridiculous baby voice Phil had ever heard. He couldn’t even be frustrated with the pup for not listening to him, a smirk pulled at his lips instead of a frown. 

Between the coos, the man looked up at Phil, who was still stood in his doorway, looking down at them with his arms crossed over his chest, smile on his face.

“Hi, sorry, your dog is so cute,” he spoke, not in a baby voice, to Phil. Phil’s eyes couldn’t help but flick to the growing red patch of skin on the man’s face, a dimple - _oh, god a dimple -_ poking into his cheek just above it. “Sorry,” the man apologized again, and attempted to get up from his crouching position, but Loki refused, letting out a small bark and tapping his paws on the man’s thighs. The man just laughed, a deep chuckle, and gently squished at Loki’s cheeks with his large hands. “I’m with the Labour campaign,” he addressed Phil once again, not bothering to get up from where he was squatting, “We’re canvassing door to door to inform voters of the importance of tactical voting, do you have a moment to discuss the best plan of action to get the Tories out?” He looked up at Phil expectantly, still squeezing at Loki’s fur. 

Phil huffed out a laugh, mostly to himself, and surprised himself with what came out of his mouth in response. “Sure. Why don’t you come in though, he will _not_ leave you alone or calm down if there’s someone on the steps.” Phil stepped to the side and the man followed him in, grabbing his clipboard as he stood up, Loki, of course, zooming back into the house with him. He didn’t go far though, choosing to run circles and figure eights around Phil and the man’s feet once the door was shut behind them. 

Phil didn’t know why he was so easy to invite a stranger into his home, albeit just a few steps into his doorway, but the smile on the man’s face and the way he interacted with his dog gave him everything he needed to be okay with it. 

“I’m Phil,” Phil held out his hand after a quick internal panic over which hand he should be holding out, “The menace is Loki,” he nodded towards the corgi that was now starting to tire from his antics. 

“Dan,” the man smiled, tucking his clipboard under his arm to gently shake Phil’s hand. “Nice to meet you,” he looked into Phil’s eyes with a toothy grin, “And you,” he switched to his baby voice, looking down at the dog who had just plopped himself down on top of Dan’s feet. 

“Loki,” Phil warned, trying to get him to leave the stranger alone, he noted that his black jeans were already covered in the tan corgi’s fur. _Oops._

“No, no, please, I do _not_ mind! He can stay there,” Dan quickly interrupted him, stopping Phil from scooting the dog away. 

“Sorry,” Phil blushed, “He just really loves new people.” 

Dan grinned down at the dog, then looked back up at Phil, “Does he also love democracy?” 

Phil quirked a brow and Dan let out a nervous laugh, “Bad transition, eh?” He scratched at the back of his head and then reached across his chest to pull his messenger bag forward. Phil noted the same Labour rose logo on the front of it as Dan reached into it and pulled out a small piece of card stock. “I presume you’re registered to vote?” 

Phil pursed his lips, trying to remember if he was registered. _Yeah_ , he was pretty sure he was. He wasn’t the biggest politics guy, so sometimes that slipped his mind, but he _did_ pay attention and care enough to know that they were becoming increasingly important lately, with all that has been going on. He nodded his head and Dan flashed him a smile. 

“Great! Well, I’m stopping by today to remind people about the upcoming election and inform you how you could use your vote tactically to ensure a better future for all, if you choose to do so.” The man in front of him was all professional, as if he had been reading off the same spiel all morning, but it didn’t rub Phil in the wrong way. Not at all. He seemed passionate, like he was speaking more from the heart than off a script. 

Dan looked at him expectantly, and Phil realized he was staring again. “Yes, uh yeah, tell me how I can help, I’m not too keen on the Tories.” Phil chuckled and Dan’s smile got impossibly wider, dimple poking through again. Loki let out a sigh from where he was sat across Dan’s feet, as if he could read his disaster gay dad’s mind. 

Dan held the small piece of card stock out to Phil, and Phil took it. Looking down at the colorful infographic about tactical voting, he noted the large QR code that took up half of the card. “This is everything you need to know,” Dan explained, leaning closer to Phil to point a finger at the code, “We’re trying our best to be environmentally conscious, so no big pamphlets anymore. You can use your phone to scan this and it will bring you to a digital info card of tips and information that is useful to voters. A well-informed voter is a happy voter.” Dan looked up from the card to smile at Phil, Phil nodded - a smile already plastered on his face, he just couldn’t help it. “Once you scan it, you can put in your postal code and it will tell you where your vote would be most helpful in edging out the Tories...Though, I can tell you I know this area a Labour vote is the strongest vote, but it’ll have all the explanations and numbers for you to look at on there.” 

Phil flipped the small card over in his hand, then looked back up at Dan, “Thank you, this is helpful, I get so busy sometimes it’s hard to keep up,” Phil bit at his lip at the admission, feeling some guilt seep through. Though he deeply cared about a lot of issues, it was easy to get a bit caught up in his own privilege - he could be more like this guy in front of him, donating his time to ensure a better future for all, but he wasn’t. “Oh! Um,” he looked at Dan with furrowed brows, “what day is the general election again?” 

Dan moved an arm like he was about to place it on Phil’s elbow, but instead it just kind of awkwardly hung between them before he played it off as adjusting his clipboard that was tucked up under his armpit. “You don’t have to give me that look,” he said instead, in a soft voice, “that’s what I’m here for. It’s the twelfth. This upcoming Thursday. You scan that code right there and there will be a link that’ll tell you your polling station. It’ll be open from seven in the morning ‘til ten in the evening.” Dan fired off the information with a grin, in a voice that didn’t make Phil feel as dumb for not knowing. 

Phil nodded, “Thank you, again, I’ll make sure to set a reminder,” he chuckled at himself and blushed, “I’m working on a big project right now, so if I didn’t, it would be a miracle if I remembered and actually left the house.” 

“I know how that is,” Dan groaned, rolling his eyes, but Phil could tell it wasn’t directed at him, but at Dan himself. He patted his pockets for his phone, to set the reminder so he wouldn’t forget, but frowned when he realized he had left it upstairs. He scrunched up his nose, “Let my phone upstairs, but I have this,” he waved the small card stock around, “this’ll keep it on my mind!” 

Dan smiled, but a few seconds later bit at his lip, a blush creeping back up his face. Phil didn’t know why, but he decided in that moment he would absolutely just _die_ to be able to see this beautiful man blush all the time. 

“Or uh-” Dan stammered and Phil shook himself out of his lovestruck haze, “If you want, you can uh, jot down your number and I can send you a reminder?” Dan’s voice went up in inflection as he spoke, almost as if he was questioning what was coming out of his own mouth. Phil thought it was cute, _of course he did_. Dan held his clipboard out towards Phil, pulling a pen out of the clasp as well, and Phil took it. Of course he did. He wrote down his name and number with a grin on his face. 

And that’s how Phil ended up leaving his house for the first time in a week, finally taking a break from editing his manuscript in the late afternoon on Thursday. It is raining - absolutely chucking it down, typical for London - but Loki is as happy as could be, bouncing in every puddle in his little yellow doggy raincoat as they walked to the polls. Phil is holding his large rainbow umbrella in one hand, but Loki’s lead isn’t in his other hand. No, his other arm is linked around the arm of another man. A man who is currently holding his dog’s lead, splashing along with the pup in his own black raincoat and matching black rain boots. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading my little bit of nonsense, I just couldn't get the idea out of my head and I had some time to kill while waiting for my fish's water change water to acclimate lol. Feel like I don't even need to add the disclaimer that I know _very little_ about how politics work in the UK sorry from ur local idiot American pls be gentle lol. Also!!!!!! go vote if you can! or register to vote! or do whatever you can to help our future!!!


End file.
